Chapter 9: Organization of Marines

Against enemy forces and installations in the whole target area General Vandegrift planned to use approximately 15,000 men, with 5,000 more (the Second Marines) as a reserve. The landing force elements embarked comprised the following:

First Marine Division			12,900
	LESS:
		Fifth Battalion, Eleventh Marines.
		First Tank Battalion (less 2 companies.)
		Detachments.
Second Marines (reinforced)			4,846
First Raider Battalion			828
Third Defense Battalion			972
			----------
			19,546

He organized them and assigned initial mission to them in the following manner:

(a) Combat Group A (less Combat Team No. 2, less Battery E Eleventh Marines), Col. LeRoy P. Hunt, USMC, commanding. Command afloat in American Legion. These troops, comprising the Fifth Marines reinforced, were ordered to land on Beach RED (about half-way between Lunga and Koli Points, north coast of Guadalcanal) at H-hour and to seize the beachhead.

(b) Combat Group B, Col. Clifton B. Cates, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in Barnett. These troops, comprising the First Marines reinforced, were ordered to land on Beach RED at H-Hour plus

50 minutes and pass through the right of Combat Group A, attack on magnetic azimuth 260° and seize the grassy knoll 4 miles south of Lunga Point.

(c) Tulagi Group (First Raider Battalion, Combat Team No. 2, less Battery E Eleventh Marines), Lt. Col. Merritt A. Edson, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in APDs. These troops were ordered to land on Beach BLUE (on the southwest coast of Tulagi) at H-hour and seize the northwest section of the island.

(d) Gavutu Group (First Parachute Battalion), Maj. Robert H. Williams, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in Heywood. This group was ordered to land on the east coast of Gavutu Island at H plus 4 hours and seize that island, later pressing on to Tanambogo. (e) Support Group (First Engineer Battalion, less Companies A, B, and C; Eleventh Marines, less First, Second, Third, and Fourth Battalions; First Special Weapons Battalion, less First and Third Platoon, Battery A; First Pioneer Battalion, less Companies A and C; First Amphibious Tractor Battalion, less Companies A and B), Col. Pedro A.M. DelValle, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in Hunter Liggett. This group was ordered to land on Beach RED (Guadalcanal), assume control of Second and Third Battalions, Eleventh Marines, provide artillery support for the attack, and coordinate antiaircraft and close-in ground defense of beachhead area.

(f) Division Reserve (Second Marines, reinforced, less Combat Team A), Col. John M. Arthur, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in Crescent City. This group was ordered to be prepared to land Combat Team B, less all reinforcing units, on Gavutu Island, at H plus 4 hours, and also to be prepared to attach Combat Team C, less all reinforcing units, to the Tulagi Group.

(g) Florida Group (Combat Team A), Maj. Robert E. Hill, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in President Jackson. This group was ordered to land on Florida Island hear Halavo at H-hour plus 30 minutes and seize that village.⁸

(h) Third Defense Battalion, Col. Robert H. Pepper, USMC, commanding. Command post afloat in Zeilin. This group was directed to be prepared to land detachments (principally antiaircraft units) on Beach RED and on Tulagi and Gavutu on the receipt of orders.

Commanding officers of troops were made responsible for the complete unloading of their ships, and they were ordered to leave sufficient men on board to ensure that all holds were worked on a 24-hour basis. Basic priorities for landing supplies and material were established in this order: 1, ammunition; 2, water; 3, combat transportation; 4, rations; 5, medical supplies; 6, gasoline; 7, transportation other than combat; 8, miscellaneous.

Traffic in beach areas was to be controlled by Shore Party Commanders; inland traffic by units of military police. Shore Party Commanders were directed to call upon troop commanders in their immediate vicinity for assistance in handling supplies from landing beaches to dumps. Shore parties were to be organized in accord with Standard Operating Procedure for Shore Parties as set forth in Force General Order No. 7-42, dated February 25, 1942.

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Footnotes

[8] This order was modified, after the Task Force's departure from the Fijis, to provide that reinforced company B of Combat Team A, would land at H-hour minus 20 minutes on Florida near Haleta and seize that village.